Reed looked everywhere but at me as he started stepping back and forth.
“Reed!” I yelled.
“Fuck! Fine, but you can’t let her know that anyone knows. Please, Layton. ”
“I won’t. ” My heart was beating a mile a minute.
“I don’t know much, but I guess right when Whitley moved here, she went and saw Dr. Martin, and you know, Wes works there. Wes told me last night that Whitley had all kinds of bruises all over her body, including some really bad bruised ribs. She claimed she had been in a wreck, but Wes said it was classic abuse, and Dr. Martin questioned Whitley about it. I guess Whitley broke down and asked Dr. Martin not to tell a soul. She moved to Llano to get away from her ex and to start a new life. ”
My knees about buckled out from underneath me, and I felt sick to my stomach. “Why in the fuck is your sister telling you that, Reed? That’s private information. Wes could get fired. Who in the hell else has she told?”
“Jesus, Layton! No one. The only reason she told me is because she saw me talking to Whitley, and Wes asked me to keep an eye on her and not to let her get hurt by some fuckwad. Wes was looking out for Whitley, Layton, that’s all. Wes told me she talked to Whitley. She really liked her and was just worried about her. ”
I had to hold on to the counter. Oh my God. What kind of an asshole would ever hit someone so amazing? Why would someone hit any woman at all?
“Reed…” I grabbed a chair and sat down. I put my head in my hands. I wanted to throw up. “But…she’s so headstrong. So…how could she ever let…how long?”
Reed shook his head. “I don’t know. Wes thought she’d heard Whitley tell the doc they’d been together since high school. ”
“Fuck…that poor girl. ”
“Please, Layton, don’t let her know you know. Wes could lose her job, and she instantly fell in love with Whitley’s sweet personality. Wes just wants someone to look after her. ”
I nodded. “Of course…yeah, don’t worry, Reed. I’ll never bring it up to her. ” I needed some fresh air. I stood and started toward the back door. “I need some air. ”
“I’ll be by in a little bit. Layton?”
I stopped and waited for him to talk.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded and walked out the door. The moment I got outside, I practically ran toward the barn. When I got into the barn, I fell to the ground.
All I could see was her beautiful green eyes looking into mine—so sweet and innocent and so damn beautiful. The thought of some asshole beating her had my blood boiling over. If I knew who this guy was and where to find him, I would get on a plane and go beat the fucker until he couldn’t move.
“What am I supposed to do, Mike? I love Olivia…but Whitley has brought something out in me that I buried deep, so deep down inside. She makes me feel…happy…alive. ” I laughed as I shook my head. “I’ve only known her two damn days. What the hell is wrong with me? Help me, Mike. I can’t take another woman hurting me. I won’t let it happen. ”
I lay back and stared up at the ceiling of the barn. I closed my eyes and thought back to the day Mike and I had finished building this barn.
Senior Year
“Someday, Layton, you’re going to walk into this barn with the love of your life. You’re going to raise a family here. Both of us are. ”
I laughed and smacked Mike on the back. “Dude, I’ve already brought Liv in here about twenty times while we’ve been building it. ”
Mike frowned and walked to the other side of the barn to start putting up the tools.
“Why don’t you like Liv? I love her, Mike. ”
He slowly turned and smiled at me. “Layton, it doesn’t really matter if I like Olivia or not. ”
“It does, Mike. It means everything to me. When we get married, I don’t want my brother standing up next me, hating on the woman I’m about to marry. ”
Mike took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Layton, she doesn’t deserve you. She treats you like shit. I’m pretty sure she’s fucked around on you, and I just don’t trust her. ”
“Wow. Shit, Mike, you certainly didn’t hold back. Olivia would never cheat on me—ever. You don’t know her like I do. She’s high-maintenance, yes, but I love her, and she loves me. ”
Mike grinned as he walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Then, that’s all that matters, Layton. Just…please keep an open eye with her. I don’t believe in my heart that she’s the one for you. You’ve always had this dream of being with her. You’ve talked about her blonde hair and blue eyes. ” He let out a gruff laugh. “Honestly, in my dreams, I see a beautiful brunette with stunning deep green eyes as the love of your life. ”